Insects may be fascinating creatures (at least to us entomologists!), but hey, let’s face it – nobody loves a roach. Popular culture is replete with examples of cockroaches as the bad guys or as objects of scorn, from the “Bug” race in Men in Black to Tony Montana (Scarface) exclaiming “I bury those cockroaches!” Love ‘em or not, cockroaches are a great example of why pest management techniques have evolved over the past few decades to keep pace with our ever-increasing knowledge of pest biology and habits.
Many pest insects are thigmotactic – which is a fancy way of saying they like to be in contact with multiple surfaces. In other words, they like to hide in cracks and crevices. Cockroaches are no exception. The old adage, “For every cockroach you see, there are dozens you don’t,” is true – most are seen at night, and when the light is turned on they “scatter like cockroaches!” During the day, roaches and other pests tend to hide in dark, undisturbed areas like cracks, crevices, and voids in the home.
An American cockroach in a narrow crevice. This is a happy cockroach! Thanks to University of Nebraska.
Not that long ago, it was common practice for pest control companies to spray baseboards throughout homes with insecticides. Now, most companies take the pesticide to the bugs – to where they hide, deep in cracks and crevices, behind appliances, and in voids. Simply putting material out where it’s easy to apply and hoping the pests walk across it is not sufficient, and it isn’t a good IPM approach. Black Pest Prevention Technicians are specially equipped and trained to apply only the required amount of pesticide deep into the areas where pests spend the majority of their time. The end result? Less pesticide applied, and better control!
To find out more about our IPM approach to pest prevention, email us to set up a no-cost, no-obligation appointment with one of our knowledgeable inspectors. Simply to go our request form at http://www.blackpest.com/request-an-inspection/index.cfm. We look forward to serving you!